Chapman Sparks Alexander Victory

A game that started with an Alexander run ended with an Alexander run.

In Friday’s matchup against Nelsonville-York, Alexander (9-5, 3-5 TVC) would rely heavily on sophomore Mason Chapman late in the game to come out with a 52-44 win.

“Boys, we bend, but we don’t break.”

Those were some of the key words Coach Jim Kearns gave to his players entering the fourth quarter and Chapman made sure it was his team that didn’t break.

For a majority of the game, both teams were bending, as there were seven lead changes throughout the whole game. However, when the two-minute warning sounded throughout the arena it was Chapman’s time to shine.

With the score 39-38 in favor of N-Y, Chapman stepped around a screen and drained a three that would give his team a 41-39 lead with 1:40 left in the game. That three sparked a 9-1 run in just under a minute for Alexander, seven coming from Chapman, and destroyed any chance Nelsonville-York would have at winning a game that for the most part N-Y controlled.

Chapman ended the night with 22 points, four rebounds and a two steals. Adding to the Alexander win was sophomore Seth Richardson, who finished off with 10 points and seven rebounds.

For the Buckeyes, who led a majority of the game, senior Cannon Kilbarger tried his best to keep his Buckeyes team from cracking, but 17 points and five rebounds would not be enough.

N-Y could not get anything going in the fourth quarter as they were outscored 22-11 and even worse, senior Josh Fayette could not get anything going the whole night as he finished with two points, going 1-of-7 from the field and six turnovers.

Coming into this game Nelsonville-York (8-7, 2-5) had won its last four conference meetings against the Spartans, but that streak would be ended as Alexander has now won seven of its last nine games.

Alexander now sits in fourth place in the TVC with this conference win, right in front of Nelsonville-York who now stands at fifth place.